I am writing regarding Dr. Frederick Curro’s May JADA supplement article, "Gum Chewing as an Adjunct to Use of Medications," (JADA 2008;139[suppl 2]:6S–8S). In his sidebar, he takes us on a pipe dream where one would think that obesity, Alzheimer’s and headaches need only be treated better with more gum chewing.
Dr. Curro states, "For headache, it is a matter of increased blood flow, which prevents the vasoconstriction that initiates a headache." This is antithetical to what has been published innumerable times in The Journal. Dr. Curro espouses the virtues of "prolonged repetitive movements" and "prolonged chewing exercise" to reduce pain. I hope I’m not alone in feeling uncomfortable with this being published in our Journal, sidebar or not.
